The present invention pertains to spring testing devices, and, in particular, to an apparatus for testing valve springs installed in vehicle engines.
In a variety of engines, for example race car engines, springs are used to bias valves within the engine block which are actuated by rocker arms and push rods. Over time, these valve springs can fatigue or otherwise deteriorate. As a result, the valves will not be biased with the optimal force, and consequently the operation of the vehicle engine may be compromised.
Prior art devices developed to test the strength of the valve springs without removing or otherwise disassembling the springs from the engine suffer from shortcomings which limit their utility. For example, one known type of valve seat pressure tester comprises a gripper body from which separately extend a rigid needle member and a flexible bar. Attached to the flexible bar are a hand grip and a scale. When the gripper body is arranged for use on a rocker arm assembly and as a user applies force on the hand grip until the rocker arm biasing valve spring is caused to compress, the bar flexes and the scale moves relative to the needle member. The needle member points to indicia on the scale, and the user can then read the scale to assess the spring force of the valve spring. Because the gripper body is intended to be a universal fit and is not adjustable to properly adapt for different sized rocker arms, the spring force measurements resulting from this type of device may be less accurate than desired.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus that allows for the testing of a valve spring in a convenient and accurate fashion without requiring removal of the valve spring from the engine.